Scottish Executive

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has provided to the NHS this year to respond to winter pressures.

Malcolm Chisholm: On average we have increased the allocations to NHS boards by 7.8% for 2003-04. From this increase NHS boards have set aside around £12 million to address specific winter issues, supported by the £11 million spent by the Executive on the flu vaccination programme.

Livestock

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for not timeously implementing EU Animal By-Products Regulation No. 1774/2002 banning on-farm burial of animal carcases that was due to come into effect in May 2003.

Ross Finnie: There were a number of reasons for delaying the implementation of the EU Animal By-Products Regulation in Scotland until 1 October 2003. First of all the Scottish Parliament election meant that a consultation exercise could not be conducted during the purdah period. Secondly, I thought it prudent to delay implementation given that discussions within the EU on transitional measures for the regulation were not concluded until the late spring. Finally, I also wished to seek, and consider in detail, the views of stakeholders on the definition of the remote area derogation for the burial of fallen stock.

Livestock

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2444 by Ross Finnie on 19 September 2003, when it now expects to commence the proposed nationwide scheme for the disposal of animal carcases, arising from the EU Animal By-Products Regulation banning on-farm burial of animal carcases.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2444 on 19 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Livestock

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what charges will be levied on farmers participating in the nationwide scheme for the disposal of animal carcases, arising from EU Animal By-Products Regulation No. 1774/2002 banning on-farm burial of animal carcases.

Ross Finnie: The proposed fee structure is:

  


Livestock Units

Up to 20

21-200

201–1,000

Over 1,000



Annual Fee (£)

50

100

350

1,000

Livestock

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the nationwide scheme for the disposal of animal carcases arising from EU Animal By-Products Regulation No. 1774/2002 banning on-farm burial of animal carcases and how much of that cost will be borne by (a) farmers, (b) the Executive and (c) Her Majesty's Government.

Ross Finnie: The estimated cost of the scheme is £50 million per annum. Government will contribute £40 million in the first year and the farmers will contribute around £10 million.

  In the first year the Executive's contribution will be £1.5 million, the other two devolved administrations will contribute similar sums, and the remainder will be met by Her Majesty's Government.

Scottish Water

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many development projects, of what value, have been delayed because of lack of investment or commitment to investment by Scottish Water, broken down by local authority area.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the Chief Executive of Scottish Water and I have asked him to write to you about this matter.

Waste Management

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current statutory framework is in respect of the disposal of human sewage.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policies are in respect of the disposal of human sewage.

Ross Finnie: The statutory framework in respect of the disposal of human sewage is described in Water Quality and Standards Investment Priorities for Scotland's Water Authorities 2002-2006 , a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 15676).

Waste Management

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment human sewage has to undergo before disposal.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the Chief Executive of Scottish Water and I have asked him to write to you about this matter.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Visits

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many high profile or VIP visits there were to the Parliament in each month from (a) May 1999 to May 2000 and (b) May to November 2003 and what the estimated number of visits is from November 2003 to May 2004.

Mr Andrew Welsh (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The Parliament received 48 high-profile or VIP visits between May 1999 to May 2000 (inclusive) and 80 visits between May and the end of December 2003. From January to end of May 2004, the Parliament's External Liaison Unit are currently developing programmes for 18 visits but it is expected that the number of visits will increase during this period.

  The attached table sets out the number of high-profile or VIP visits for each month covered in the periods above.

  


Year

Number of Visits



1999



May 

1



June 

3



July 

2



September 

1



August 

3



October 

2



November 

4



December 

3



2000



January 

1



February 

3



March 

5



April 

8



May 

13



Total number of visits (May 1999 to May 2000 inclusive)

49



2003
 



May 

9



June 

18



July 

5



September 

2



August 

16



October 

14



November 

10



December 

6



Total number of visits (May to December 2003 inclusive)
80



Estimated total number of visits January to May 2004 inclusive
18

Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many full-time equivalent legal advisers are employed or contracted to support the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and what changes are planned in the level of support in 2004.

Robert Brown (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): As provided for under the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has approved the Commissioner having a contract with Anderson Strathern to provide independent legal advice to him in his capacity as Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. It is not possible to provide the number of full-time equivalent legal advisers as this will depend on the number of issues the Commissioner seeks legal advice on. All costs for legal support will be met from the Commissioner's existing budget, and the contract has been let on a short-term basis to allow the Commissioner and SPCB to consider the usage of such advice and possible future options.